Communication plans organize messages and resources so maximum advantage can be taken of publicity opportunities. Strategic plans can be developed for one particular event or for the entire organizational structure. Working with the media is a cost-effective way to inform the community about who you are and what you do.
Media relations work. It isn’t expensive and is one of the most effective ways to reach your audience and get your message out.
These questions should be addressed when creating a communication plan:
Once these questions are answered, the communication plan can be constructed. This plan may employ a number of elements to foster communication.
These elements include:
No matter what method you use to contact the media, it’s important to understand who the media are, how they work and what is considered “news.”
News is:
News is now. It’s timely, immediate and sometimes bad. It’s local. It’s about here and now. It’s about people, our neighbors, stakeholders, celebrities, eccentrics, guardian angels, artists, young heroes, pet heroes, etc.
It’s innovative, useful, amusing. It’s “I never thought of it that way…” News is novelty. It’s unique, a contradiction, conflict or controversy. It’s a snapshot of a rapidly changing world.
The bottom line is that news is what journalists decide it is. That’s why it’s important to think, write and speak like a reporter. Ask yourself why would a reporter consider this news? Why would a reporter care?
Developing a positive relationship with the news media takes a lot of work. Building relationships with your local reporters can be one of the most beneficial things you can do to help your organization grow.
These relationships will:
Press releases provide information about an issue, an event, performance or other newsworthy item in a standardized format. In deciding to write a release on a certain subject you might consider asking the following questions:
Press releases should answer the five W’s in the first paragraph:
A useful guide for organizing your news release is the inverted pyramid. Readers start at the top, editors cut from the bottom.
Your pyramid would look like this:
A media database will be a crucial component of your overall media relations strategy. It should be updated every time you use it and should contain a list of the newspapers, radio stations, television stations and other news outlets in your community. Your database of media outlets should include names of contact reporters and editors, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses. It is helpful to note deadlines for each outlet. Select only media outlets that attract the audiences you want to reach.
Once you identify your key media contacts, become familiar with the publication or broadcast. It is important for you to study the arts and leisure pages and television and radio segments. Match your needs with the interest of columnists, writers, on-air personalities, etc.
Sometimes the best way to tell your story is at a news conference, an announcement of something significant to interested members of the news media. This method is most appropriate for news that you consider very important and urgent. It allows reporters to ask in-depth questions, usually pertains to news that has recently or unexpectedly happened and applies to a variety of audiences. News conferences should be saved for only the most important events— ones that usually make front-page news.
To be sure a news conference is necessary, ask these questions:
A media event will generally get more coverage than a news conference. In addition to providing reporters with news, it also provides photo opportunities. Stories accompanied with pictures are given better placement in a newspaper. Pictures are a requirement for a television story.
To be sure a media event is necessary, ask these questions:
Fact sheets lay out the main points of your program in a concise manner. They should include the following information:
It is helpful to always have fact sheets available so they may easily be distributed to individuals who want information. Fact sheets are also good templates for Web material.
Both radio and television stations commit a portion of air time for free public service spots on behalf of nonprofit organizations. PSAs are announcements or reminders of events or services helpful to the public.
First call your radio and TV stations and ask to speak to the Public Service Director or check their Web site. Find out what kind of spots they run, what rules apply, what their time limits and formats are and to whom and by when should the PSAs be submitted.
Most stations will not accept any political messages in PSA’s.
Your PSA should focus on free events that provide accessibility to the general public to special performances, events, festivals, etc. Submit your TV or radio PSA script to the station for approval before you go into production. This can save you from wasting time and money.
Your nonprofit name should be heard and seen twice during a PSA. Some stations are very particular about identifying 501c (3) status. Check on this in advance. A phone number and Web site address should also be given.
Digital BETA SP is the best option for TV PSAs. Thirty-second (80 words) PSAs are aired often; 15-second PSAs are also in demand. Every station has different preferences. Check first. Leave three to five seconds at the end of your PSA for your logo.
TV PSAs can easily be made into radio PSAs. Most radio stations accept CDs or digital files. Develop a 15-second, 30-second and 60-second hard copy PSA for local radio stations.
Submit your PSA at least one to two months before a specific event. Write a “Kill Date” (date on which PSA must be taken off the air) on your PSA. This is very important.
Be sure to make follow up calls, but don’t be pushy.
If the station is lukewarm to your PSA, suggest that you work together on a partnership/ sponsorship that would encourage participation in the arts and culture. Involve your local station in your outreach efforts.
It can be helpful to spend some time with a reporter to discuss particular issues of the organization. Some newspapers and television stations have reporters who cover particular beats, such as arts and leisure. Discussing issues with these reporters is an excellent tactic particularly if an employee is new to a situation, the program is new, or the reporter is new. A published story is not guaranteed after an interview, but it is an excellent way for employees to establish themselves as an expert on a particular issue. Update interested reporters or reporters who have already covered the story with small developments regarding the issue.
An important thing to remember about interviews is that the interviewee is the expert on the topic and should always remain in control. It is also important to either record interviews or take excellent notes.
It is common for an individual to get nervous when a reporter asks for an interview. Some techniques for dealing with nerves include a few deep breaths, a moment of meditation, or a walk to organize thoughts. It can also be helpful to think of the interview as a conversation with a close friend or relative. The best way to deal with nerves is through preparation.
In order to find out what a reporter wants out of an interview, talk with him or her informally about the requests.
Ask the following questions:
It is important to take the time needed to prepare for an interview. Never feel pressured to respond off-the-cuff. Simply inform the reporter that time is needed to become familiar with the issue.
Ask the following questions:
When being interviewed, the most important thing is to appear honest, straightforward, and concerned. Those being interviewed are not expected to look like professional news anchors. Professional attire such as suits and dresses are not required. It is only important that the person being interviewed is comfortable with him or herself.
While being interviewed, look at the reporter, not the camera.
Be prepared to suggest visuals that may help make the story better. Consider options outside of the office for a more visual location. For instance, an interview about a festival could take place at the festival location.
Most radio interviews are conducted over the phone. In order to prepare for the interview, eliminate all distractions. Hold all other phone calls and shut the office door. Always remember to speak in a normal, understandable voice when being interviewed.
Print interviews usually last longer than radio or television interviews and the reporter usually wants more detailed information. Make sure that ample time is scheduled for the interview. It may also be helpful to pull other individuals from the office to sit in during the interview. This will round out the interview by including many people with different areas of expertise.
Small or weekly newspapers may be interested in a regular column from a division or a large program.
“Op-eds” stands for opinion editorials. This is an excellent opportunity to write a column that contains facts and personal opinions about a particular issue. Smaller newspapers may run op-eds that run in other newspapers, but most large newspapers will not run op-eds that have appeared elsewhere. For tips on how to write an Op-ed click here.
Interested in talking with editorial writers? Click here for ways to prepare in advance for talking with the editorial board.
An advisory or media alert is a good way to notify media about urgent or breaking news. Advisories should be short and highlight Who, What, Where, When, Why. Quotes and unnecessary details should be avoided. For a sample Media Advisory click here.
The different types of media have specific characteristics that set them apart from other media. Each has pros and cons and should be dealt with in a particular way in order to fully take advantage of all that the medium has to offer.
When planning a television story it is important to think of the pictures that most accurately and effectively express the situation. This is often a fun opportunity to be creative. If television is to cover a news release someone must be on hand to do an on-camera interview and pictures must be selected to go with the release material. Television reporters prefer pictures to “talking heads,” or individuals simply talking into a camera. The more opportunity a reporter has to obtain pictures, the more likely the story will be covered on television. It is helpful if the location of the news conference is a major part of the story.
Assignment Editors
The assignment editor is responsible for deciding what stories will be covered and by whom. Since assignment editors are multi-taskers with demanding jobs, make only one or two brief calls. Try to keep calls under a minute unless the assignment editor lengthens the call by asking questions. Make a short pitch that is clear and concise and thank the assignment editor for his or her time at the end of the call. Most stations have a day and night assignment editor.
Because there are no pictures to distract the audience, sound is a powerful feature for radio. Finding and identifying sound for a radio reporter will give the story a better presence. Sound for the radio can be as simple as a taped interview or more involved.
Details and background information are the unique qualities of a newspaper story. The larger newspapers assign reporters to beats such as arts, leisure, cultural issues, North Carolina history, tourism, and business. Because these reporters are assigned to one beat, they generally have more time to spend on stories. It is beneficial to foster good communication by inviting reporters to tour the organization, talking with them over lunch, or calling them with any new details.
Smaller newspapers such as weeklies may not have beat reporters. Reporters may cover a variety of issues, but they may still have more time to spend on a story. Invite new reporters to sit down and chat or go into the field. Be sure to keep them informed on the stories that are in progress. Remember that today’s weekly reporter is often tomorrow’s daily newspaper reporter.